THE globe

DUBLIN, Ireland—A  majority of adults in this country say that favor mergers of credit unions if it will provide enhanced products and services.

LONDON—Members of the U.K’s armed forces are being given a credit union as an alternative to using payday lenders. The U.K.’s Treasury is putting up £500,000—all from fines paid as part of the investigation over LIBOR violations—to get the credit union started.

DUBLIN, Ireland—An employee of a credit union here allegedly showed a member's father his confidential financial statements indicating the son's loans were in trouble, according to a case before this country’s High Court.

TORONTO--The Ontario Co-operative Association (On Co-op) held the fourth of six regional Co-op Connections conferences. More than 100 participants from 52 co-ops and organizations participated in the event, which filled the ground floor of the Centre for Social Innovation Annex on Bathurst Street.

ABERDEEN, Ireland—Ireland’s FCA is investigating a credit union here over whether an employee’s personal account was used to speed up payments for members.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba—Two large credit unions here have announced plans to merge. Noventis CU and Starbuck Credit Union said they will merge and create an institution of approximately $732-million in assets, pending separate membership meetings in May.

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) discussed credit unions' concerns about the so-called “de-risking” phenomenon with the Financial Action Task Force here.

BARBADOS—Credit unions here are breathing a small sigh of relief after successfully shielding 80% of this island’s credit unions from a new tax. The Barbados Co-operative Credit Union League has been battling a new tax on assets here for more than a year, according to Barry Hunte, CEO of the BCCUL.

GREENWICH, U.K.—Experts on banking from the University of Greenwich are providing assistance to London Mutual Credit Union as it prepares to begin offering longer-term loans, including mortgages.

LONDON--Over the past 10 years, U.K. credit unions has more than doubled their lending and membership – while savings and assets have almost tripled.